First Kiss
by 2018pastnpresent
Summary: First kisses often bring both joy and fear of the unknown.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own _Higher Ground_ or any of its characters. *Does anyone still review? Any requests? Is it a fresh of breathe air to read about someone other than Scott and Shelby, or do you think, "How dare she/he separate Scott and Shelby! S&S 4 ever!" If anything, I hope my stories expand upon Juliette who had a lot of potential for growth. She also had some psychological issues that were overlooked but were interesting. I hope one day to be able to tackle Auggie, Katherine, Ezra, and Daisy in a story as well.

 **Story:**

 _"I've never done that before."_

Her statement could have meant that she had never been bold enough to initiate a kiss with someone. Prim and proper princesses did not walk up to someone and kiss them. However, the issue was far more embarrassing for her. She had NEVER been kissed much less initiated one.

Her desperation to beat Shelby mixed with a strong need for attention by someone…anyone…drove her to the act. While in the shower that morning, her insecurities came in full force. Why did she even challenge Shelby upon seeing Scott? Shelby was so pretty with her big dark blue eyes, her golden blond hair, and pink rosebud mouth. Shelby looked the way Juliette desperately wanted to look. Shelby had the confidence and cockiness males always seemed to want too. She knew few males had probably ever turned down Shelby Merrick.

She was never going to let Shelby know she was jealous. The word "jealous" popped into her mind before she quickly suppressed it. She swallowed the lump in her throat. She just had to prove to herself that she was good enough!

By the time she finished drying her hair, she had formulated a plan. A plan that needed to be done the very same day before Shelby could bat her eyes with her long lashes and give a witty remark at Juliette's expense. It was annoying how Shelby could be a "witch" because she damaged, and it was viewed as a sign of her toughness. Anytime Juliette showed some sass, she was being a spoiled brat. Typical ole' Juliette.

Immediately after the kiss, Juliette didn't know if she wanted to cry from fear or joy. She had never been so bold. It was a defining moment for her. She was proud of herself for aiming so well and landing on his lips. She would've died of embarrassment if she missed and got his nose or half of his cheek instead.

His lips were warm and softer than she ever imagined. His whole face lit up because of her one action. He even smiled for once.

She soared into the clouds. Her adrenaline still coursing through her. She felt giddy and free. She danced into the dorm room. Light as a fairy queen. She couldn't remember the last time she felt this way. It had been years, although most people assumed it was only minutes ago. Her mask was a good one.

As she slowly drifted back down to Earth, she became terrified. She didn't know how to kiss! What happened now? He would surely be able to tell she was a naïve, inexperienced nitwit. He'd seek Shelby out for the real passion. Just like Brandon did with Suzie Thorton…

She was relieved to help in the search party for the little girl. Her worries directed toward the little girl. Thankfully, she was found. The day also meant their routine was interrupted, and she didn't see Scott the rest of the day. Lunch had been painfully awkward enough.

She laid in bed processing the day. The moment now seemed surreal and far away. She wandered what was going to happen now. Yes, she had attracted boys and dated some, but the relationships always fizzled. She was left alone. Maybe it was a good thing. She was desperate for attention but refused to lower her standards just for temporary attention. Besides, sex was bad. Desire was improper. She was curious but any attempt to satisfy it through questions was met with "Juliette, that's not like you," or "Juliette, you're so cute and naïve" by her friends. Some thought she was a tease, while others knew what a prude she was and didn't bother. Some viewed her as a challenge until they realized her mom kept a tight leash on her. After her hospitalization, she was a social pariah, especially to the boys. They thought she was too needy, too high maintenance…too crazy. Perhaps so, perhaps so.

She woke up extra early for morning kitchen duty. She liked the quietness and alone time. She was still wracked with anxiety, although it was mixed with lingering elated joy.

She sensed someone near her and found bright blue eyes looking at her. She jumped back in surprise.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you. I thought you would have heard me," Scott said softly. Juliette tried to fight the growing nervousness as well as the desire his close proximity gave her. Scott looked around nervously too.

"I'm glad we found the little girl yesterday. Well, Ezra found her, but she's okay," he made small talk.

He hadn't moved away from her. She smiled and agreed. They looked silently at each other. He placed his hands on both side of her face and slowly lowered his head. He gave her a slow, lingering kiss. At first, she thought she was going to melt into a puddle. Then, she panicked at what to do before clearing her mind to savor his lips on hers. She mimicked his actions. It felt like one of the most natural things. Scott felt her relax and stepped closer to her. His arms encircled her, and he deepened the kiss. For once, everything in her mind cleared away. For once, she enjoyed the feeling of desire.

It was only her and Scott.


	2. Chapter 2

_Woo hoo! Thanks for the review. I wanted to add this part because there are different types of first kisses._

 _"What's up with you, huh?"_

Scott had asked her one day while they were cleaning tables. She honestly didn't know what was wrong. Well, yes, maybe she did know. The problem was that she hadn't admitted it to herself yet. When the thought came up in her mind, she promptly squelched it. She felt guilt, confusion, shame, and uneasiness when the thoughts tried to arise.

Dating Scott did not prove to be the all consuming passion, acceptance, love, or fix to her insecurities as she had hoped. It was not fair to him, but she felt trapped. She did not know how to get out of this suffocating relationship, especially without giving Shelby the opportunity to get him. It made her nauseous to think of Shelby never letting her hear the end of it if she got Scott. Thankfully, Scott did not seem interested in Shelby. The thoughts went on and on one night as she laid in bed. She couldn't take the incessant thinking drilling fear and sadness into her heart, so she went into the bathroom. She could at least gain control there.

Scott was too much for her fragile self to handle. He was moody, emotionally inconsistent, and whiny. If this was what it was like to date herself, yikes! If he wasn't withdrawn, he was short tempered with her. Sure, he never emotionally or verbally belittled her, but he barely seemed to tolerate her presence. He seemed annoyed one minute, then wanting to kiss her the next. She never knew what Scott she was going to get at the moment. She was nervous and insecure around him. When she tried talking to him or be an affectionate, caring girlfriend, he'd scoff at her. She was beginning to see what he really thought of her. She knew why he was dating her. It was fine at first because she dated him for certain reasons too, but it was becoming stale. She wanted something more, but she couldn't determine what it was she wanted.

She knew his reason for being at Horizon was why his behavior the way it was, but she did not know how to support or help him. She could barely help herself. She tried to get him to talk about it because it might improve his behavior. She yearned to help him, maybe…maybe even fix him! Her self-worth would be proven if she could help someone like him. She could support him and turn his life around. She would love him, be there for him, and give him everything he needed. She would be somebody special. She was willing to give what she so desperately craved to have herself. She may not be able understand what he was going through, but she would support him nonetheless. She would show him how good life could be if only he would let her.

Auggie. Everything she wanted from Scott she was slowly getting from Auggie. Of all the people at Horizon, it was him who managed to get her to admit she had lost interest in Scott. His warm brown eyes and his well-chiseled face. His thick hair so dark it had a blue sheen to it. When reading next to him one day, she wanted to reach over and run her fingers through his hair. When she registered what she was thinking, it shocked her. She sat there stunned until Jeff interrupted her thoughts by reprimanding her for not listening in class. She glanced at Scott who was sulking in his chair and not paying attention either. She was starting to resent how he could get away with seemingly everything like Shelby.

She could not shake the pull she felt for Auggie. He let his walls come down for her. He challenged her whole way of thinking and her world view. She never knew anyone outside of her own social class and knew very few people outside of her race or ethnicity. She had not given anyone different from her much thought because she rarely encountered them enough to think about it. The people she knew of other ethnicities were wealthy, so she tended to view people according to social status more than race. Yet, Auggie had opened a whole new world up to her. She was not particularly drawn to his "bad boy" persona. She liked his softer side. The one he seemed only to show her. She was honored to see the side of him that no one else had seen. Scott had not offered her a different side yet.

He told she looked beautiful, which caused her to blush at a complement she did not hear often enough. When Juliette realized Auggie was going to kiss her, she completely forgot about Scott. She felt horribly guilty about it afterwards, but she could not deny the spark when Auggie kissed her. Auggie kissed her first. He came to her out of his own desire. His own willingness.

His lips were soft and cold from the water. His lips lingered on hers. She wanted to lean and kiss him more passionately, forgetting people were around. Forgetting her boyfriend was around.

She smiled a shy smile and looked away. A guy like Auggie found something to like in a girl like her. She sat with a grin on her face for several minutes trying to process the moment. Some water dripped on her shoe. She looked up and saw Scott looking down at her. He looked happy for once. Her eyes widened. She suddenly remembered she had a boyfriend. She had a boyfriend, and she kissed someone else!

Scott sat next to her lamenting on her unwillingness to join in the fun. He laughed and told her the only thing that would have made it better if she had been there.

She wanted to push him back into the water for suddenly deciding to be a good boyfriend. How else was she going to justify her horrible behavior?


End file.
